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The photosystem II reaction center (PSII-RC) performs the primary energy conversion steps of oxygenic photosynthesis. While the PSII-RC has been studied extensively, the similar timescales of energy transfer and charge separation, and the severely overlapping pigment transitions in the Qy region have led to multiple models of its charge separation mechanism and excitonic structure. Here we combine two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) with a continuum probe and two-dimensional electronic vibrational spectroscopy (2DEV) to study the cyt b559-D1D2 PSII-RC at 77K. This multispectral combination correlates the overlapping Qy excitons with distinct anion and pigment-specific Qx and mid-IR transitions to resolve the charge separation mechanism and excitonic structure. Through extensive simultaneous analysis of the multispectral 2D data we find that charge separation proceeds on multiple timescales from a highly delocalized excited state via a single pathway in which PheoD1 is the primary electron acceptor, while ChlD1 and PD1 act in concert as the primary electron donor., Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures

We present a rapid-scanning approach to fluorescence-detected two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy that combines acousto-optic phase-modulation with digital lock-in detection. The approach shifts the signal detection window to suppress 1/f laser noise and enables interferometric tracking of the time delays to allow for correction of spectral phase distortions and accurate phasing of the data. This use of digital lock-in detection enables acquisition of linear and nonlinear signals of interest in a single measurement. We demonstrate the method on a laser dye, measuring the linear fluorescence excitation spectrum, as well as rephasing, non-rephasing and absorptive fluorescence-detected two-dimensional electronic spectra.

We report two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) experiments on the bacterial reaction center (BRC) from purple bacteria, revealing hidden excitonic and vibronic structure. Through analysis of the coherent dynamics of the BRC we resolve specific coherent signatures that allow us to definitively assign the upper exciton energy of the "special pair." This assignment is supported by simulations of coherent dynamics of a reduced excitonic model of the BRC. The simulations also identify nonsecular vibronic coherence transfer processes neglected in standard models of photosynthetic energy transfer and charge separation. In addition, the coherent dynamics reveal multiple quasi-resonances between key intramolecular pigment vibrations and excited state energy gaps in the BRC. The functional significance of such electronic-vibrational resonances for photosynthetic energy transfer and charge separation remains an open question., Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Nature Communications

Fluorescence-detected two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (F-2DES) projects the third-order non-linear polarization in a system as an excited electronic state population which is incoherently detected as fluorescence. Multiple variants of F-2DES have been developed. However, none have demonstrated analysis of kinetics and coherences routine in photon-echo 2DES. Here, we report phase-modulated F-2DES measurements on a strongly coupled symmetric bacteriochlorin dyad, a relevant 'toy' model for photosynthetic energy and charge transfer. Coherence map analysis shows that the strongest frequency observed in the dyad is well-separated from the excited state electronic energy gap, and is consistent with a vibrational frequency readily observed in bacteriochlorin monomers. Kinetic rate maps show a picosecond relaxation timescale between the excited states of the dyad. To our knowledge this is the first demonstration of coherence and kinetic analysis using any variant of F-2DES., Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures

We present a variation of two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy that is capable of mapping spatially-varying differences in electronic couplings using a correlated map of excitation and detection frequencies, with sensitivity orders of magnitude better than conventional spatially-averaged electronic spectroscopies. The approach performs fluorescence-detection-based fully collinear two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy in a microscope, combining femtosecond time-resolution, sub-micron spatial resolution, and the sensitivity of fluorescence detection. We demonstrate the approach on a mixture of photosynthetic bacteria that are known to exhibit variations in electronic structure with growth conditions. Spatial variations in the constitution of mixed bacterial colonies manifests as spatially-varying peak intensities in the measured two-dimensional contour maps, which exhibit well-resolved electronic couplings between excited electronic states of the bacterial proteins., Comment: Submitted to Nature Communications on Feb 12th, 2018, acknowledgements, and author contributions updated in version 2

Photosynthesis powers life on our planet. The basic photosynthetic architecture comprises antenna complexes to harvest solar energy and reaction centers to convert the energy into a stable charge separated state. In oxygenic photosynthesis, the initial charge separation event occurs in the photosystem II reaction center; the only known natural enzyme that uses solar energy to split water. Energy transfer and charge separation in photosynthesis are rapid and have high quantum efficiencies. Recently, nonlinear spectroscopic experiments have suggested that electronic coherence may play a role in energy transfer efficiency in antenna complexes. Here we report the observation of coherence in the photosystem II reaction center by two dimensional electronic spectroscopy. The frequencies of the observed coherences match exciton difference frequencies and/or known vibrational modes of the photosystem II reaction center. These observations raise questions about the possible role of electronic and/or vibrational coherence in the fundamental charge separation process in oxygenic photosynthesis., Comment: 31 pages, 5 figures and supplementary information